PAUL Harris is the Evening Mail darts champion after a brilliant display in the Grand Final.

Harris beat tournament favourite James Kempster 4-1 in front of a packed audience at The Nines on Saturday night to lift the trophy for the first time.

The 48-year-old Britannia thrower defeated Castle House players Tommy Richardson (3-1) and Chris Irvine (3-2) in the last eight and semi-finals.

The BAE Systems fitter then completed the job against another Castle House man Kempster - bouncing back after losing the first leg to win four on the trot in the best-of-seven final.

Kempster had been clinical in the opening stages of the competition, dispatching Kev Hubbold of the Robin Hood and Millom's Gary Ryce both by a 3-0 margin, but Harris proved a very worthy and popular champion.

The other quarter-final results saw Irvine beat Nikki Lavery 3-0 and Ryce squeeze past Ulverson's Steve Woodburn 3-2 in a nail-biter.

Semi-finalist and organiser Chris Irvine thanked competition sponsors Stan Jones/Colin Mason, The Nines, Dalton CC and the Cemetery Cottages. Compere Richie Hall did a great job on the microphone, while thanks also go to scorer Nick O'Toole and raffle organiser Sharon O'Toole.

* Full report, reaction and pictures in Monday's Evening Mail.